Last Modified: Wednesday, February 27, 2013 at 5:48 p.m.

Grandview Landscaping employee Dakota Leffers, right, uses a shovel to take pressure off of a line so that fellow employee Joseph Leggett can removed the cut piece. The crew was working on removing old plants and tree stumps from the parking lot and surrounding area of Churchill Square Tuesday morning.

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While the current stark look of the shopping center may seem shocking, it is part of a $2 million renovation to the center, at 303 SE 17th St., and the Publix Super Market there.

"This is phase one of the renovation, which involves re-landscaping," said John Breder, president of Breder Management Co., which operates the shopping center.

He said the oaks trees that were cut down were in bad shape and needed to be removed.

The city of Ocala agreed.

"The trees were in really bad shape. Those trees were probably in bad shape 20 years ago. They were in too small islands and that caused a lot of the problem," said Peter Lee, the city's chief planning official.

The shopping center opened in 1992. It was built before the city's tree ordinance was established. The ordinance was last revised in 2010. The current ordinance calls for 14 trees per acre. Shade trees such as oaks and others count as one, and ornamental trees count as half a tree.

While all of the trees in the front of the shopping center property were cut down, the facility has approximately 80 existing shade trees around the perimeter. The site calls for 165 shade trees. In order to make up the difference, the city allowed for 197 ornamentals.

"That's more ornamental trees than we would like, but I couldn't, in good conscience, make them plant shade trees in those islands. Within a few years, they would need to take those trees out and replace them," Lee said.

Instead, the islands will be planted with Nellie Stevens holly trees. The trees will be between six to eight feet tall, according to the landscaping plan.

"The laurel oaks were not up to code. They are not live oaks, they are laurel oaks, they don't trim up well. They are not like the nice spread-out oak trees. The new landscape is going to be a real neat look," Breder said.

Other types of trees going into the landscape include 18 crape myrtles and nine privet trees. There also will be 49 Florida palms and 10 silver date palms.

Publix expects to renovate the inside of the store from April to June. During that time, the management company will resurface the parking lot, paint the entire shopping center, upgrade the outside lighting, update bike racks and benches, and renovate the Publix facade. The sign at the entrance of the shopping center also will be replaced, according to Breder.

"We hope to finish at the same time as Publix and have a grand re-opening," he said.

<p>More than 50 laurel oaks and dozens more smaller trees, plants and hedges were swept away from Churchill Square recently as the operators of the shopping center make way for new landscaping.</p><p>While the current stark look of the shopping center may seem shocking, it is part of a $2 million renovation to the center, at 303 SE 17th St., and the Publix Super Market there.</p><p>"This is phase one of the renovation, which involves re-landscaping," said John Breder, president of Breder Management Co., which operates the shopping center.</p><p>He said the oaks trees that were cut down were in bad shape and needed to be removed.</p><p>The city of Ocala agreed.</p><p>"The trees were in really bad shape. Those trees were probably in bad shape 20 years ago. They were in too small islands and that caused a lot of the problem," said Peter Lee, the city's chief planning official.</p><p>The shopping center opened in 1992. It was built before the city's tree ordinance was established. The ordinance was last revised in 2010. The current ordinance calls for 14 trees per acre. Shade trees such as oaks and others count as one, and ornamental trees count as half a tree.</p><p>While all of the trees in the front of the shopping center property were cut down, the facility has approximately 80 existing shade trees around the perimeter. The site calls for 165 shade trees. In order to make up the difference, the city allowed for 197 ornamentals.</p><p>"That's more ornamental trees than we would like, but I couldn't, in good conscience, make them plant shade trees in those islands. Within a few years, they would need to take those trees out and replace them," Lee said.</p><p>Instead, the islands will be planted with Nellie Stevens holly trees. The trees will be between six to eight feet tall, according to the landscaping plan.</p><p>"The laurel oaks were not up to code. They are not live oaks, they are laurel oaks, they don't trim up well. They are not like the nice spread-out oak trees. The new landscape is going to be a real neat look," Breder said.</p><p>Other types of trees going into the landscape include 18 crape myrtles and nine privet trees. There also will be 49 Florida palms and 10 silver date palms.</p><p>Publix expects to renovate the inside of the store from April to June. During that time, the management company will resurface the parking lot, paint the entire shopping center, upgrade the outside lighting, update bike racks and benches, and renovate the Publix facade. The sign at the entrance of the shopping center also will be replaced, according to Breder.</p><p>"We hope to finish at the same time as Publix and have a grand re-opening," he said.</p>